Locking means for nuts, bolts, and the like



H. BATCHELOR.

'LOCKING MEANS FOR NUTS, sous, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 19l9.

Patented July 25 I ATTGR HAROLD BATCH'ELOR, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEIRT JERSEY.

LOCKING MEANS FOR NUTS, BOLTS, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1922.

Application filed. April 8, 1919. Serial No; 288,554..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD BATCHELOR, a citizen of Great Britain, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Looking Means for Nuts, olts, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to means for looking a rotatable element to a relatively fixed member, and it appertains more especially to a retainer capable of frictionally holding a nut or bolt stationary, up to a certain pressure, along the thread of the coacting part.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce an improved construction of the nature set forth, wherein the locking means is mounted solely within the rotatable element and retained by frictional engagement merely upon the stationary member, thereby obviating the prevalent use in connection with the latter of cuts, grooves, slots, and other fastening recesses or incisions unnecessarily weakening the same.

Another object is the production of a fastening structure of the type mentioned enabling the rotatable element effectually to engage the stationary member so as to hold it thereon against movement in one direction unless such pressure be applied as Will reverse the locking means, and then to resist as effectively any similar motion in the opposite direction.

A further object is to provide a locking means of the character described including a reversible pawl carried by the rotatable element in position to impinge upon the stationary member in such a manner as to exert its greatest stress radially thereupon, and adapted to be inclined alternately at either side to permit relative movement of the, engaged parts in both directions.

Still another object is the provision of a locking means of the kind referred to, characterized by an extreme simplicity of construction and capable of being readily attached to standard makes of bolts and nuts, that is, to either one thereof, with the least possible addition to the ordinary fastening structure and a minimum amount of alteration.

A still further object is to supply a locking means of the sort specified which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, easily attached and removed as Well, convenient to Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds- With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists of the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated on the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views,

In the said drawing,.

Figure I is a plan view of a combined nut and bolt, with a locking means applied thereto conformably to one embodiment of the invention; V

Fig. II. is a longitudinal section of the same form of the invention, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. III is an elevation, looking from the right of the preceding figure;

vFigIV is a plan View, representing a slightly modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. V is a longitudinal section of the latter-named embodiment, some parts there- I of appearing in elevation;

F'ig. VI is an elevation further illustrating the structure shown in Figs. IV and V, looking from the right-hand side thereof;

Fig. VII is a side elevation of another modified form of the invention;

Fig. VIII is a longitudinal section of the same construction, viewed at right angles to the position indicated in Fig. VII, parts being shown:- in elevation Fig. IX is a fragmentary plan view, showing on an enlarged scale the modified constructionrepresented by Figs. VII and VIII, the locking element being omitted;

Fig. X is a view similar to Fig. IX, but with the locking element set so as to operate in one direction;

Fig. XI is a like View, with the locking element positioned for operation in the opposite direction;

Fig. XII is a sectional elevation disclosing still another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. XIII is a partial bottom plan view of the modified construction shown in the last-named figure.

Generally described, the invention consists of means for frictionally holding a rotatable member locked to a relatively stationary member which is in threaded engagement therewith. It includes an angular locking element of resilient character having one leg directed transversely to the axes of the said members. The free end of said leg is in contact with one of the members while the other leg of said element is lodged in a seat and extends therein substantially parallel with the axes of both of the members. The axially parallel leg is held in said seat in a manner to limit the swing of the transverse leg on either side of a radial position, so that when brought beyond the latter a resistance is produced which forces the free end of the transverse leg against the thread. The arrangement is such that when the latter named leg of the element is forced from one side to the other of its radial position it causes the axially parallel leg to'recede, subjecting the same to torsion while the transverse leg is exposed to a bending strain. If a sufficient stress be applied to the rotatable member for instance by means of a wrench, the locking element will yield and be reversed so as to' engage the thread in the opposite direction. In either position, the transverse leg of the locking element is normally inclined and slant-ingly engages the thread so as to hold the rotatable member securely against reverse rotation, up to a predetermined pressure.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in the one and same' structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, upon becoming conversant with the details thereof, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructionsf The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted only asshowing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring first to Figs. I, II and III of the annexed drawing, it will be seen that the form of the invention represented therein is applicable to an ordinary nut, as A, of hexagonal or other preferred form, screwing upon the threaded portion of a bolt or stud B. The locking means, presently to be described, is carried upon the outer face of the nut in this instance, as shown by the .illustration. Although it is immaterial which one of the threadingly engaged members is provided with the locking element.

In carrying out this first form of the invention, a hole 11 is drilled through the nut A, preferably adjacent to one corner thereof, in substantial parallelism with the axis of the nut. This hole affords a seat for a locking element, one arm 12 of which projects at right angles thereto across the outer face of the nut, as seen in Figs. I and II. The arm 12 is of slightly greater length than the radial distance between the side of the bolt or bore of the nut and the seat 11, and its free end engages the bottom of the thread on the bolt when the locking element is swung over thereagainst from the said seat. Preferably, a single locking element is employed.

An angularly offset shank 13 of the looking element is adapted to enter the seat 11, and this shank may be flattened or widened in whole or in part in the manner indicated at 1 1, Fig. II. The outer angle of the drilled corner of the nut is contracted over the said offset shank of the locking element by making therein one or more indentations 15, transversely of the said corner. It will be noted, with reference to Figs. II and III, that these indentationspress the metal inward at the corner of the nut, as indicatedv at 16, but that they do not entirely close the hole or passage around the shank 13. Therefore, the flattened portion 14 of the latter-named part of the locking element has a certain freedom of action notwithstanding the depressions 16, though it can only swin in a certain degree to either side thereo The purpose of this construction and arrangement is to enable the outer arm 12 to be shifted from one position to the other on either side of its radial or midway location, and at the same time limit the reach thereof outwards on both sides, so that the pointiaf' the arm 12 shall be held always in contact with the sides of the threads in the bolt or stud B. This is due to, and effected by, an initial strain being placed upon both the parts 12 and 13 after they have passed the central position.

If the shank 13 of the locking element is inserted into the passage 11 before the depressions 16 are formed thereacross, the latter may then be made sufficiently deep to prevent the shank from coming out. Otherwise, the depressions 16 are carried to such depth only as will permit the free insertion and removal of the shank. In F ig. II, the shank 13 is shown as barely extending halfway down the passage 11, and engaged by a single one of the depressions 16. By virtue of this construction, should the projecting arm 12 he accidentally broken off, and were it difiicult to remove the offset shank 13 from its seat or socket in the said passage, it would nevertheless be an easy matter to reverse the nut by turning it over end for end on the bolt, and then furnish it with a new looking element, the offset shank whereof could be fitted at once in the free or unobstructed half of the passage. In any case, the locking element is preferably made of resilient metal, that it may have the desired elasticity, and yield to the required extent, for instance, when forced back in assuming the radial position, or upon being swung from one side to the other while either screwing or unscrewing the nut engaging the bolt. It may either be made of non-corrosive wire of circular or other cross-section, or of any preferred material suitably coated to resist rust and moisture.

The construction illustrated in Figs. IV, V, and VI is distinguished from the structure hereinbefore described, in that a recess 19 is provided in one corner of the nut A preferably in the basal or inner portion thereof. The recess 19 may be produced when pressing the nut to the required shape, or otherwise formed therein, for instance, by the millin process. In this embodiment of the invent1on, the locking element is made with an inwardly projecting arm. 12, arranged to swing over the upper wall of the said recess, and for that purpose the latter is sunk or ofi'set intermediately of the nuts upper and lower faces, adjacent to either one thereof as will best suit the user, but in any event it should swing clear of the side walls of the recess. An angularly offset shank 13 of the locking element is received in a hole 11 of the nut, wherein this shank is seated or socketed. The hole, it will be observed, runs upwardly from the recess 19, and extends therefrom in parallelism with the axis of the nut A but terminates short of the upper face thereof. The advantage of this construction is that the arm 12 of the locking'element does not require an outwardly projecting part of the bolt to engage with, but on the contrary both the arms and the extreme threaded end of the bolt may lie within the nut. Furthermore, the arm 12 is out of the way and better protected. It is not as discernible besides, since itcan be viewed only, if at all, by looking into the recess 19. The other structural elements of I this form of the invention are the same as in the previously described construction.

In the embodiment of the invention represented by Figs. VII to XI, inclusive, the

seat or, socket for the locking element is formed by a groove 11", axially parallel to the bore of the nut A Within this groove is received a flattened portion 14", of an angularly ofi'set shank l3", pertaining to a locking element of similar structure and shape as those hereinabove described. The outer cornersof the groove 11", produced as at 15* by the intersection of the latter with the adjoining faces oithe nut A are sub.

sequently pressed or hammered over, as at 16*, to enclose the said flattened portion 14 of the offset shank. An enclosed recess is thus obtained, wherein the flattened part 14 may have a free movement of predetermined extent. A projecting arm 12 of the locking element-extends from this recess to the threaded portion of the bolt B engaged by the nut A The arrangement is such that the outer end of the arm 12 is subjected to bending while the shank 13 receives a torsional strain, when the locking element is moved beyond certain positions towards either side. In order to lessen thestrain, the transverse arm of the locking element is preferably given a certain amount of free swing on either side of its radial position before it is allowed to encounter the torsional resistance.

As shown in Figs. VII and VIII, the ends of the offset shank 13 may be formed with a toe portion 22, which will have a limited play between the opposite sides of the groove 11". In the present instance, it is only necessary to lay over the lips or edges 15 of the groove above or beyond the toe 22, to afford it the requisite freedom of movement.

Although the flattened or laterally swelled portion 14 of the offset shank 13 has been shown as positioned transversely with relation to the axis of the latter, it is understood that the said portion 14' could with ,equal advantage stand in alignment with the projecting arm 12", the recess therefor being suitably altered to meet the change. The recess 19 also could be availed of in this construction.

Figures XII and K111 show locking means, of same principle as disclosed herein, applied to a tap bolt B A hole 11 is drilled into the threaded end of this bolt,-somewhat nearer to one side thereof thanto the other, so as to provide a seat or socket for the shank 13 of a locking element 12. The shank 13 is lodged for its full length in the seat or socket 11, and has a flattened portion 14 formed adjacent to the element 12. An indentation 15 is produced in the tap bolt, near the said flattened portion, by forcing a centre punch or the point of a chisel into the end of the bolt. This raises the metal welt-like, as at 16, in front of the portion 14, so that'the outstanding metal lies against the element 12 and prevents it from swinging beyond a certain angle at each side of a normal radial line, relatively to the bore of a nut, or other member A engaged by the tap bolt. As a consequence, the free or outer end of the element is constantly urged against the sides of the internal threads in the nut or receiving member. In this form of the invention, an intermediate member consisting of a part C is clamped by the head of the tap bolt B to the underlying member A The projee tion 16 also prevents the shank 13 from being wrenched out of its seat or socket.

The same principle prevails in all of the forms of construction herein exemplified. That is, the locking or retaining element 12, including all varieties thereof designated by this numeral and its exponents before expressed, is forced 'to yield relatively to the member engaged thereby, or the member with which it is in engagement at the time it passes over the normally radial line to either of its side positions. This occurs when a wrench or like implement is applied to therotatable member, to wit, the nut or the bolt as the case may be. Incidentally it will be noted that these positions are counter to or against the direction of the rotary movement which the element has to resist. .The yielding of the retainer or locking element is effected by a slight rearward flexure occurring between the armor projecting part 12 and the shank or socketed portion 13; and also by bendin or forcing the latter over or towards one side or the other of its socket or seat 11. In the various exemplifications of the invention shown in the drawing, the axially parallel groove or opening (11, 11", 11) that forms the seat in the nut or bolt wherein is received the longitudinally extending leg or shank (13, 13", 13) of the locking element, and the constricted part (16, 16 16) of which coacts with the flattened or widened portion (14, 14:", 14) of the said leg, is so proportioned interiorly with relation to the latter as to allow it a slight rockin movement in its said seat. By virtue of t is construction, the transverse arm (12, 12 '12, 12) the free end whereof cooperates with the thread of the bolt or nut, is permitted an unimpeded but restricted swing within the plane of the bore, or thelimits of the threaded bore of the nut unoccupied by the bolt, The longitudinal leg of the locking element is only subjected to torsion when the transverse arm has been forced past the limited are or swing spoken of, and consequently its endurance will be much more lasting than if put under a constant strain. The operation of the oscillatable arm of the locking element and the means for limiting,

the unimpeded movement of the same, are best illustrated in Figs. X and XI.

While certain preferred embodiments of this device have been shown and described,

it will be understoodthat changes in the form, arrangements, proportions, sizes and details thereof may be made, withoutdepart- 'ing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having ilescribed my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim, 1s

1. A device for looking a nut to a bolt or the like, comprising a resilient angular element, one corner of the nut being formed with a groove in substantial parallelism with the axis thereof providing a seat for one leg of said element, opposed edges of said groove extending over said leg so as to retain it therein, the free end of the leg having an outwardly directed offset portion coacting with said edges to control the free movement of the leg relatively to said seat, the other leg of the angular element reaching the bolt slantingly so as to engage the thread thereof on either side, the free end of said other leg bit-ing into said thread when in advance of the seat, and admitting of being brought past a radial osition by excessive pressure so as to oppose rotation in the reversedirection.

2. A device for frictionally holding a nut and bolt or the like, comprising a locking element with legs dispose at an angle to each other, the nut having a seat in one corner thereof, one of said legs being flattened and received in said seat, means pertaining to said corner coacting with the flattened leg to control the movement thereof in the seat, the action of said means on the flattened part 'of the leg permitting the latter a limited free arcuate movement in thesaid seat and imposing a torsional strain beyond the limits of such movement, the other one of the legs being projected slantingly toward the bolt with its free end arranged to bite 'into the thead' thereon on either side of a radial position, and the angle between the legs having an unobstructed outward movement while said other leg moves in the free are from side to side.

A device for locking nut and bolt members or the like, comprising a resilient element with legs disposed at an angle to each other, the nut member having a seat extending longitudinally parallel with its threaded bore adapted to receive one leg of said element, the other leg of the same being directed transversely slantwise against. the.

thread on the bolt member, and means coacting with said seat servin to control the movement of the longitu inalleg therein so as to afford the transverse leg an unimpeded swing from side to side within the plane or limits of the bore, said means imposing a torsional strain on said longitudinal leg beyond the limits on either side of the arcuate movement of said transverse leg. whereby the free end thereof is caused to bite into the thread of the bolt member and oppose rotation in a direction counter to the position of the last mentioned leg, the latter being automatically transferred from one limit to the other of its free swing by reverse rotation of either the nut or the bolt member.

4. A device for locking nut and bolt members or the like, comprising a resilient angular element, one of the members being provided with a seat substantially in parallelism with the axis thereof adapted to oscilpredetermined arc of movement said means latably receive one leg, of said element, the imposing a torsional strain on said seatedleg other leg of the latter having its free end beyond the limits of such movement, there? 10 directed obliquely against the. thread on the by'causing the free end of said other leg to 5' other member, and means coacting with the effect a biting engagement with the thread.

leg in said seat to restrict the swin of said on said other member. I

free end after passing unimpeded is rough a v R T H LOR. 

